This week’s mystery movie has been the 1931 RKO picture “Consolation Marriage,” with Irene Dunne, Pat O’Brien, John Halliday, Myrna Loy, Lester Vail and Matt Moore. It was produced by William LeBaron, directed by Paul Sloane, with scenery and costumes by Max Ree, photography by J. Roy Hunt, written by Bill Cunningham and screenplay and dialogue by Humphrey Pearson. Musical direction was by Max Steiner,

“Consolation Marriage,” a talking film of the “program” genre, is the one selected for the solo-launching of Irene Dunne as an actress to be reckoned with. It is an ingratiating little effort, one which deliberately avoids melodramatic cliches, and in spite of a tendency to hold every scene long past the breaking point, will probably keep you in focus. Women, especially, will dote on it…..

Miss Dunne’s starring debut could have been more fortuitously made. She impresses as a nice girl, gracious and reserved, with possibilities still to be tested. Pat O’Brien resumes the role of newspaper man he created for “The Front Page,” but minus the energy and virility he displayed in that picture.

Ricardo Cortez introduced the cast after the performance, which included several selections by the Carthay Circle Orchestra, a travelogue of Death Valley, a Fox Movietone newsreel and a Silly Symphony.

A gentle little romance, with brightly written dialogue for the sympathetic characters and lines that are not so well penned for the unsympathetic ones, reached the Mayfair screen last night. It is known as “Consolation Marriage” and it was directed by Paul Sloane from a story by Bill Cunningham.

There are several chapters that are very effective, but the effort to reach a happy ending is somewhat forced, with the convenient coincident and the somewhat abrupt conclusions of Mary, played by Irene Dunne, and Steve Porter, acted by Pat O’Brien. Nevertheless, it succeeds in coming in the category of good entertainment.

For Monday, we have a mystery gent.

Update: This is Robert Homans.

For Tuesday, we have an elegant gent sitting at the piano. He has been serenading our leading lady, who will appear later in the week.

Update: This is Lester Vail, who made one more picture. He was active on Broadway, directing the original production of “Chicken Every Sunday” (1944-1945) and appeared on episodic television shortly before his death in 1959.

For Wednesday, we have a mystery woman. The leading lady has been cropped out, but will appear Friday.

Consolation Marriage 1931, with a blonde Myrna Loy. The marriage go round plot reminds me of Jimmy Durante’s song: “Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go, and then you had the feeling that you wanted to stay?”